Winter Range Sheepherder
Employer
37078 Highway 92
Hotchkiss, CO 81419
United States
Job description
Required to be available 24 hours per day, 7 days a week and spend the majority of workdays on the range. All job duties are closely and directly related to the production of sheep.
Perform any combination of the following tasks to attend to sheep on the range during the winter season: administer emergency minor medical care to
sick/injured pregnant ewes using roping methods to gently immobilize animal without causing undue stress; apply herbicides to noxious, invasive and poisonous plant species on grazing areas; assist in the shearing of sheep by herding sheep into corrals and through the shearing plant; assist with docking; assist with gathering and sorting lambs for shipping; assist with hauling water when winter and drought conditions eliminate natural sources of water for sheep; assist with irrigating forage; assist with loading trucks with lambs and/or ewes for transportation; assist with sorting and cutting of culls; assist with supplemental feeding (when weather or quality of forage precludes use of range forage); assist with tagging sheep when the shearing crew needs it; assist with weed control on grazing areas (including noxious, invasive and poisonous plant species); attend to lambing ewes (including night checks); attend to pregnant ewes in cold winter temperatures; bed down flock at appropriate night site; brand, tag, clip or otherwise mark young animals for identification purposes; break ice over frozen water sources; build and/or maintain fence and facilities to ensure the safety and health of animals and forage; care for newly born offspring; clean feeding equipment and the lambing shed; detect direction from which the wind or prevailing storms are coming to keep ewes gathered and safe; detect through winter tracking methods where other rancher(s)' livestock has been to avoid overgrazing of forage; ensure newly born lambs stand and nurse ; feed and water and ensure adequate provision of both; feed supplemental rations; feed, water and tend to the dogs (both guard and working dogs) and horses; guard against predators prevalent during the winter months using appropriate tracking, trapping, and hunting methods ; guard against predatory animals and from eating poisonous and/or noxious plants; herd mature ewes and young offspring between grazing areas in a manner to assure body condition is maintained in mature ewes and growth of offspring; herd sheep to appropriate grazing areas using winter trailing methods to avoid undue stress; identify and administer appropriate medication for various health issues such as internal parasites, respiratory issues, injuries, etc.; identify ewes that are preparing to give birth; intensely monitor and treat both mother and young vulnerable to the colder temperatures and sickness; intensely monitor and treat sheep vulnerable to the colder temperatures and sickness; keep accurate record of new lambs born; load bales of hay and/or sacks of grain onto truck or trailer used for feeding; maintain and set up supply wagon in appropriate direction to provide wind break/shelter/protection for horses & dogs; make certain animals have access to fresh water; make sufficient water from snow for horses/dogs at camp; mix and feed supplemental milk to bum lambs; monitor animals for weight gain, thrift and health problems; monitor for birthing problems and take correct actions when problems are identified; monitor forage on grazing areas to identify dangerous plants and assess available feed; move pregnant ewes at a pace sufficient to ensure they receive ample water/forage during daylight hours before bedding down at night; operate camp stove appropriately to provide/conserve heat in extreme cold/high winds; properly hobble camp horses; properly use/store food supplies for herder/horses/dogs; report to employer dehydration & other indicators of deterioration in animal body condition/behavioral changes indicating malnutrition or disease; report to rancher on water/forage/weather conditions; round
Special Requirements
Required to: perform tasks capably and efficiently without close supervision, spend the majority of work days on the range, live and work singly or in small groups of workers in isolated areas for extended periods of time, to ride, handle and tend horses in a manner to assure the safety and health of the worker, co-workers, horses and livestock, to operate equipment and machinery required to perform job duties indicated in a safe and responsible manner, to maintain equipment and machinery to a standard established by the employer, work outdoors in all types of weather and may experience occasional exposure to hazards such as poisonous snakes, biting insects and extreme temperature, attend animals during all hours of the day as required for their safety and well-being, maintain and manage remote housing locations in a safe and responsible manner, work with and around farm machinery such as tractors for supplemental feeding purposes and ATVs for movement of livestock.